The Pros and Cons of working from home #OfficeJoys

I have to admit I feel pretty smug when people ask me what I do for a living and I tell them I am a freelance digital marketer working from home. My main problem with working in London at an agency was the commute – living in Kent now I used to spend 3 hours a day on a train which I felt was such a waste of my life! Now my commute involves going to my desk, much better!

Of course, there are lots of positives to working from home and freelancing, but it also has its challenges which sometimes get forgotten in the excitement of being able to work in pyjamas or blaring your favourite tunes while you work! Here is a quick run through of the pros and cons of working from home if you are considering taking your career in a new direction.

Pros

You can do what you want when you want to.

No commute meaning you save time and money.

You can choose your own dress code.

Your boss isn’t going to be stalking you around the office putting you off.

There are fewer distractions such as coworker conversations, people’s phones ringing etc.

You can expense some your equipment costs and get some tax relief.

Stress levels are lower as you can easily walk away or take a break when you get tired or frustrated.

You won’t be expected to attend any meetings which don’t seem to have a reason or an outcome!

If you are a bit of an introvert like me you will probably be more productive with less pressure to interact with the people around you.

You get to spend more time at home which can be perfect for anyone who wants a better work/life balance.

Cons

You need rock solid self-discipline to ensure you actually get your work done.

You also need the self-discipline to know when to stop, otherwise, you could end up overworking just because you can.

You must be able to motivate and organise yourself to get your tasks done as there is less outside pressure.

There is a lack of camaraderie and team work means it can get a bit lonely.

There is no escaping the office when you work from home because it’s right there!

You will need to have an office set up at home which can take up valuable space and be an expensive investment.

No face time with coworkers and clients can make communication harder.

There can be a lack of ad hoc learning as there are no coworkers to collaborate with. Extra effort is required to find learning opportunities on your own.

Of course, there are distractions when working from home. Family, pets, the TV, a phone call, the post man, a local event, popping to the shops… these can all get in the way if you are not careful.

Luckily I am a highly organised person who has no lack of motivation to get jobs done. I make sure to build in free time in every day so I can walk my dog and chill out as required. I actually love knowing that I have evenings and weekends available as it lets me get more done than I would otherwise do working from an office.

Although there are days when I just don’t feel like working and I end up watching too much Netflix but I make sure that I can balance out this time and get my tasks completed. Working from home as a freelancer is certainly not a decision I have regretted! How about you? Could you work from home?

For some more pros and cons check out this video from furniture-work.co.uk highlighting the ‘joys of working life!’